The issue with having so many teams from the same conference ranked as high as we are is you beat each up over the course of a season and maybe one or 2 come away with a good enough record to maybe have a chance at a #1 seed. 12 of the last 19 champions were #1 seeds and all but 2 since 1998 were Top 3 seeds. I could see where so many teams have beaten each other up that the SEC loses out on these top seeds. Look at Bama, they currently are slated to finish the last 7 games of the season against ranked opponents. That's brutal. We have a 3 game stretch coming up where we are on the road 3 of the next 4 games all against ranked opponents, including the #1 team. We could easily have 9 losses heading into March Madness and still be good enough to make it to the Final 4. But a high seed is needed to win it all. UConn is the only teams since 98 to win it all as a low seed and they did it twice.
Yes sir- our game vs Butler in 2011. It was 14 years ago but I remember refs just making up fouls out of whole cloth to get Butler back in the game. They did- we went to OT and lost. Still smh over that one...
Today I think showed how truly at parity the league is at the top. Anyone in the top 6 or even 8 can beat each other any given day. I also think what I said before the season is coming prophetically true: That Cal leaving UK when he did was a HUGE deal if Golden continued his trajectory the way he was going at UF. I can guarantee you if UK was floundering like Arkansas is now or like the past few years at UK, and Golden was doing was he was doing, forget the hotseat, it would be a firestorm of boosters ready to make sure Donovan II didn't happen right under their nose again and ready to make a change and back the Brinks truck down to Gainesville. Also, watching the game on youtube today, this gem popped up 2006 post-selection Bracketology from ESPN Jay Bilas hated us then too. Minneapolis region (UF 2006 region) at the 23 minute mark. During one of our craziest runs ever, all he could muster was "South Alabama might kick their ass"
Bilas certainly had a ton of great things to say about Florida yesterday. Different topic: I was just looking at a mock draft and the top SEC teams really don't have much high-end firepower. Kind of interesting.
Alright Alabama-Auburn this Saturday, who are we rooting for? Alabama? Cause we need Auburn to drop 2 more games and we don't play them again, while we do still have Alabama and some control of our destiny with them on our schedule, right? (Talking the SEC regular season title here, with Saturday I think its finally time to start drawing out scenarios) Also I like the way the back end of our schedule sets up vs Alabama and Auburn. I mean we still have some heavy hitters at the end, but nothing like the murderer's row they will face basically starting Saturday with each other. I like the chances of both dropping at least 2 if not 3 games.
I commented during the game that Bilas was positive about UF. He seemed pretty fair throughout the games for both teams.
With things wrapping up in the regular season, I think its time to begin SEC tourney talk With Auburn losing, Im rooting for another early exit to firmly knock them off the first 1-2 #1 seeds so UF can get in closer to home on the #1 seedline for the second two games if they make it that far - either Atlanta or Newark At this point I think the gators have either Raleigh or Lexington locked up for the first two games.
Should the SEC Tourney get its own thread? Love the possible revenge tour against Mizzou and Kentucky (if they upset Bama).
Need UK to take out Alabama. The regular season finishing 2nd in the SEC & beating them on the road should be good enough for Florida to get the 1 seed, but who knows if an Alabama win over Florida in the semifinals would put them over Florida for the 1 seed. Alabama losing to UK would end that scenario and would almost certainly lock in Florida assuming they win the quarterfinals game vs Missouri (barring Miss St. pulling the upset), but either way need to win that game & hope Bama gets knocked off in the quarterfinals. Otherwise Florida may need to beat Bama again in the semis for the 1 seed, which I don't agree with, but who knows what the committee thinks.
